Internal combustion engines



Oct. 29, 1957 E. TIRLONI 2,811,149

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Nov. 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VENTOR.

y MM Oct. 29, 1957 TlRLoNl 2,811,149

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Nov. 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR.

United rates Patent 9 This invention .relatesstorimprovementsxinxinternalcombustion engines and is a continuation-in-part applicationof my abandoned: patent. application. Serial. No-- 305,480, filed onAugust" 20; 19.52.

An object of this invention is to provide an internal combustionenginewith' a high'thermodynamic. efiiciency,

i. e: with a substantiallyreduced consumption ofi'fuei per Hi P. ofpower'outputt Particularly, the aim of this invention is to reduce theexhaust losses substantially-- which losses, as already well known,amount in most cases to about 40% of the power developed by the fuel byproviding means designed to greatly improve the combustion of the fuelmixture, through a more complete oxydation of hydrocarbons, as well asthrough a nearly complete oxydation of CO.

A further object of this invention is to provide an internal combustionengine wherein the exhaust noise level is cut down to a minimum, bymeans of a relatively low back pressure.

The aforementioned objects are attained according to this inventionwithout a substantial constructive complication or modification of theengines of conventional design through a modification of the thermalflow of the known engines.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will result clearlyfrom a consideration of the following specification of a first and asecond embodiment thereof, shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cylinder of a four strokeengine, with inlet and outlet valves arranged on the cylinder head.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail of Fig. 1 showing an exhaust ball valve asembodied according to the invention in the engine cylinder.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a partial view of Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of thearrows 4--4.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a two stroke engine embodyingthis invention.

Fig. 6 is a partial elevation view viewed in the direction of the arrows66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional plan view taken along the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

With reference to the first embodiment, as shown by Figs. 1 to 4inclusive, the improved four stroke engine following substantially aconventional design comprises a cylinder 1 with its head 4 provided withan exhaust valve 2, an inlet valve 3, a threaded hole 5 whereinto aspark plug or an injector (not shown on the drawing) can be mounted. Thepiston 6 is usually fitted in cylinder 1, and is connected to acrankshaft through a conventional connecting rod unitnot shown, as beingoutside of the scope of this invention.

According to this invention, a series of automatic ball valves arearranged on the cylinder wall, spaced a distance about of the pistonstroke from the lower dead center position of the piston 6 and locatedon the side ice of. exhaust valveZzv Said valves. consist in. a-:housing; 8; wherein a ball-7 is'freely fitted; The valvesxare-in comemunication' with the inside of cylinder. 1 throughthe duct 9, and withthe outside thereof through theduct -10-which in turn is connected to anot represented muflier.

The duct 9 communicatingv withthe insideof :cylinder 1 is provided witha semispherical valverseat 11, while the duct 10, communicatingwith. theout'side;.showstoo a semispherical seat 12 provided withlongitudinal-grooves 17, through; which a communication with theoutsideand with the housing;& is establishedeven whenrthe. ball 7 is seatedagainst. theseat 12. By means; of. the-above mentioned arrangement, theball 7 willbefirmlyseated againstits seat. 11; when at vacuum isproducedin: the. cylindeni. e; during the: induction of-fuelmixture,.there-' by interrupting communication between-theiinsideofthecylinder and'the. outside, and. thuspreventing' anyalteration of the'mixture ratio or a: cooling; of' the mixture, which might be-caused'byanaddition of inflowing air. On the'other hand, when an over-pressureoccurs in the cylinder during theend of: expansion stroke,.thecommunication of thecylinder with. the: outsidexis maintained throughthe'aforementionedilongitudinal groovesz17- By means of a cam timinggear of the already known: type, the exhaust valve 2 is opened a shortmoment ahead of the time in which the exhaust ports 9 are left open bythe piston in its expansion stroke. A modification of the thermal fluxis thereby caused through the exhaust ball valves 7, and the combustionof the mixture is improved, whereby the whole fuel mixture is completelyburnt as can be ascertained through a suitable analysis which will showthe total absence of CO and dissociated hydrocarbons in the exhaustgases. Moreover, the supplemental lowering of the pressure caused duringthe exhaust stroke by the automatic ball valves, cuts the noise down ata satisfactory level, whereby, at the same time, the efficiency of theengine is increased. In addition, as it can be readily appreciated, eventhe cylinder cooling is improved by the arrangement according to theinvention, whereby an overloading of the engineor, with other wordsanincrease in the power output in respect to conventional enginesis madepossible.

Referring particularly now to Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive, wherein the samecomponents are designated with the same references, the cylinder 1 showsone exhaust port 13 and two inlet ports 14, located substantiallyadjacent to, and on either side of said exhaust port 13, spaced /3 ofthe piston stroke from its lower dead center position. According to thisinvention, a series of automatic ball valves, of the same constructionas before described and illustrated, are fitted opposite to the exhaustport 13.

5 is the inlet port for admitting the mixture in the crankcase 16, fromwhere it is caused to flow, in the already known manner, by the piston6, through the inlet ports 2, into the cylinder 1.

While two preferred embodiments of this invention have been shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that the description has been givenfor illustration purposes only, and some modifications are possiblewithout departing from this invention. For instance the invention couldbe applied either to one, or to multicylinder engines, of the Otto ordiesel cycle, and with any arrange ment of the inlet or exhaust valves.

What I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, in combination, a cylinder formedwith inlet and exhaust ports through which a fresh charge is admittedinto and a burntcharge is discharged from said cylinder, respectively,said cylinder being formed approximately one third of the way from thebottom to the top dead center positions of a piston slidable in saidcylinder with at least one opening passing through the wall of saidcylinder; and ball valve means carried by said cylinder at the exteriorthereof and communicating with said openings thereof for closing saidopening when the latter is uncovered by the piston and the pressureoutside of said cylinder is greater than the pressure therein and forproviding alimited flow of fluid from the interior of said cylinderthrough said opening thereof when the pressure within said; cylinder isgreater than the pressure outside of said cylinder and said opening isuncovered by the piston, said ball valve means including a housinghaving a hollow inner space communicating with said opening and a ballmember in said housing of a smaller size than said hollow inner space,said housing having in its interior a first valve seat surrounding saidopening and receiving said ball member to close said'opening when thelatter is uncovered by the piston and the pressure outside of the 2. Inan engine as recited in claim 1, said opening of said cylinder beinglocated at a side thereof opposite from a side ofsaid cylinder wheresaid exhaust port thereof is located.

3. In an engine as recited in claim 1, said opening of said cylinderbeing located at a side thereof which is the same as a side of saidcylinder where said exhaust port thereof is located.

4. In an engine as recited in claim 1, said opening of said cylinderbeing located at approximately the same elevation as and opposite fromsaid exhaust port.

5. In an engine as recited in claim 1, said cylinder 1 being formed witha plurality of openings in addition to cylinder is greater than thepressure therein and said a housing having a second valve seat oppositefrom said first valve seat and receiving said ball member when saidopening is uncovered and the pressure within said cylinder is greaterthan the pressure at the exterior thereof, said housing being formedwith at least one passage passing around said ball member from theinterior of said housing to the exterior thereof when said ball memberis on said second valve seat so that said passage provides said limitedflow of fluid from the interior of said cylinder.

said one opening arranged in a row therewith and distributedcircumferentially part of the way about the axis of said cylinder, and aplurality of additional identical ball valve means respectivelycooperating with said additional openings in the same way as the ballvalve means which cooperates with said one opening.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS ClarkJune 11, 1946

